aspinall



No. 622,408. Patented Apr. 4, I899.

F. B.- ASPINALL & E. C. EKSTRUMER. MEANS FOR EXTRAGTING PRECIOUS METALSFROM THEIR (IRES (Applicatin med 0:. 10, 1998.

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No. 622,408. Patented Apr. 4, I899.

F. B. ASPINALL &. E. C. EKSTRUMEB. MEANS FOR EXTRAGTING PRECIOUS METALSFROM THEIR ORES.

(Application filed Oct. 10. 1898. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Witnesses:-

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No. 622,408. Patented Apr. 4, I899. F. B. 'ASPIINALL G. E. C. EKSTBOMER.MEANS FOR EXTRACTING PRECIOUS METALS FROM THEIR ORES.

(Application filed on, 10, 139B.

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QINITIED STATES FFIC E.

PATENT FRANK BOULTON ASPINALL, OF LEE, AND EDOUARD CHRISTOPHEREKSTROMER, OF SNARESBROOK, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR EXTRACTING PRECIOUS METALS FROM THEIR ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,408, dated April 4,1899.

Application filed October 10, 1898. Serial No- 698,178. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK BOULTON As PINALL, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, and a resident of Dacre Park, Lee, in the county of Kent,and EDOUARD CHRISTOPHER EKSTROMER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Wellesley road, Snaresbrook, in the county ofEssex,England, have invented an Improvement in Means for ExtractingPrecious Metals from Their Ores, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the extraction of precious metals from theirores by amalgamation, which is effected by subjecting the ores in afinely-pulverized state and in the form of a cloud to the action of thefumes of mercury; and for this purpose the improvement consists in theapparatus hereinafter described and claimed.

Figures 1 and 2 together represent ,an elevation, partly in section, oftheapparatus. Fig. 3 represents, on an enlarged scale, a hori zontalsection, in the line 3 3 of Fig. 5, of a device which is termed a plowand a plan of a pan in which it works. Fig. 4c is an elevation of oneside of this plow, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the other side of theplow.

A, Fig. 2, is a furnace for heating the mercury to obtain the fumesabove mentioned and which is contained in the vessel A (shown by dottedlines.)

B is a compressed-air reservoir, into which air is driven by aforce-pump or equivalent contrivance 0 through the pipe 0. From thereservoir B the air is passed by the pipe B to the mercury-chamber A andby a pipe 13 to a separator, which will be presently described. From thechamber A the mercuryladen air passes by pipes D D D to an amalgamatorE, which will now be described. These pipes are provided with cocks, sothat one or more of the pipes may be temporarily out oif, if required.-This apparatus consists of a cylindrical casing E with a hopper-shapedbottom E and having a cover E carrying a feeding-hopper F, all made ofiron, which does not become wetted by the mercury.

Passing vertically and centrally through the amalgamator E, the hopperF, and concentrator G is a spindle H, which is supported and driven inany convenient manner. The spindle H carries two screws H, which serveto regulate the flow of material from the hoppers F and E. Upon thespindle is mounted a series of trays J, and each tray is provided withpartitions J, preferably vertical and concentric, so as to form acentral space 1 with two annular concentric passages or troughs 2 3around it. The edge of the tray is provided with an upwardly-extendingconical lip or flange J These trays J are contained in compartmentsformed in the casing by inverted conical partitions K, and to the underside of these partitions K and of the cover E are secured conicaldeflectors K of the same diameter as the lips or flanges J 2 of thetrays J and arranged so that there will be a small space between theedges of the flanges and the deflectors.

Below each deflector is a perforated annular pipe D* in connection withone of the pipes laden air is thrown on the lip or flange J 2 of thetray J beneath for a purpose to be presently explained.

Dipping into the troughs of each tray is a peculiarly-shaped appliance,which is designated a plow L and is shown at Figs. 3, 4, and 5. In Fig.1 the position of this plow L is indicated, though the plow is not shownfrom want of space; but in Fig. 3 the plow is shown, drawn on anenlarged scale, as applied to the tray J, the cover of the plow beingremoved to show more readily the internal construction of the appliance.This plow,

then, consists of acasting L, havingthree inclined passages 2* 3*, onefor the central space 1 and one for each trough 2 3. These passages areopen at their upper and lower ends. The inclined bottom of each passagecommences low down withinsay at the bottomthe space or trough and thenrises .so as to pass over the top of the partitions J. At this point, inthe case of passages 1* 2*, there is a well or spout L projectingdownward into the troughs 2 or 3, as the case may be, and in the case ofpassage an opening L is madein the side wall delivering onto the lip orflange J of the tray J. The walls of the passages and the wells orspouts L are curved to the radius of the partitions J, and thepartitions as they revolve pass partly between and partly under thepassages, as will be seen from the drawings.

In the mouth of each passage is a nozzle M, which is in connection withone of the pipes D D D so that jets of the mercury-laden air areinjected into the mouth of the passages.

The action of this part of the apparatus is as follows: The ore, groundto a condition of dust or impalpable powder, is placed in the hopper Fand is gradually fed by the screw I-I into the central spacel of the toptray J. The spindle H being driven at considerable speed, the tray isrotated therewith, and the material is thus forced up the passage 1* oris scooped up by the plow, which projects into the space. This, so tospeak, raises a cloud of dust in the passage with which the mercuryfumes issuing from the nozzle M come in contact. The dust and amalgamthen fall by the well or chute L into trough 2, where the same operationtakes place in passage 2*. The dust and amalgam then fall into trough 3and the same operation takes place in passage 3*. From this passage thedust and amalgam pass by the opening L onto the lip or flange J 2 of thetray, up which they gradually creep by centrifugal action and fall overthe edge. On the lip or flange the ground ore is subject to the actionof jets of mercury fumes coming from the annular pipes D* abovementioned. The ore, with the amalgam, then slides down the conicalpartition K, which practically forms a hopper, into the central space 1of the next tray J. The same series of operations as above describedwill then take place with respect to the second tray J, and this may becontinued any numher of times, according to the nature of the ore to betreated and the number of trays provided. From the last tray'J the wholemass falls into the hopper E, by which it is conducted to theconcentrator G. It is' allowed to enter in regulated quantities by thescrew ll.

Ff is an outlet-pipcin connection with each compartment of theamalgamator E, by which the air under compression may escape from thecasin g. As, however, mercury fumes may pass away with the air, the pipedips into an interceptor 'E containing water, in which the fumes arecondensed and retained. The inlets to the branches of E will be coveredwith gauze to prevent the dustpassing away with the air and fumes.

The concentrator consists of a cylindrical casing G, with a conicalpartition G, (practically forming hoppers,) and the compartments formedby this partition inclose dishes G mounted on the shaft H and rotatingwith it at considerable speed.

The mercury, which will have become condensed in the shape of smallglobules before it passes to the concentrator, will, as with the ore itcreeps outward by centrifugal action and is, so to speak, rolled overand over, form blobs or large globules of amalgam, and thus becomes, asit were, concentrated. This action may be continued for such numher oftimes as may be thought desirable, and theconcentrated ore then passesto the separator P, Fig. 2. This separator consists of a cylindricalcasing P, having a trunk P at its lower end leading to the open air orelsewhere, as may be desired. On the cover of the casing is secured ahopper P, which receives the ore and amalgam from the concentrator G,and inside the cover is an inverted conical deflector P Runningvertically and centrally through the apparatus is a hollow spindle Q,which receives air from the reservoir l3 and is rotated in anyconvenient manner.

The feed from the hopper P is regulated by a screw Q on the spindle Q orin any other convenient manner.

Below the deflector P is a pan R, having an overhanging rim or flange,as shown, and this pan is supported and arranged in any convenientmanner, so that it may be readily removed when required. The spindle Qdescends nearly to the bottom of this pan, and at the end is providedwith hollow ar1ns,which serve to distribute compressed air in the panand also to stir up the contents. The concentrated ore is allowed tofall into this pan, and by the action of the blast the dust is blownaway and drops down outside the pan into the trunk, from which a screwconveys it away.

The overhanging lip or flange prevents the amalgam from passing awaywith the dust.

From time to time the amalgam is removed from the pan and is treated inany convenient manner to recover the precious metals.

It will be understood that the apparatus described is capable of more orless modification in many respects in the shapeof mechanical equivalentsfor carrying out the process, an essential feature of which is toseparate the particles of the ore to raise a-cloud of dust, with whichthe fumes of mercury are supplying mercury fumes through said nozzlesinto said passages, all in combination substantially as hereindescribed.

FRANK BOULTON ASPINALL.

EDOUARD CHRISTOPHER EKSTROMER. Witnesses to the signature of F. B.Aspin= all:

H. K. WHITE, FRED O. HARRIS.

Witnesses to the signature of Edouard- Christopher Ekstromer:

.WALTER J. SKERTEN,

GEO. J. B. FRANKLIN.

